Transitions in lifespan Development

The objectives of this case study are; a) to develop a better understanding of Aspirer syndrome, b) to identify the role of the unit in assisting the students in their education and personal development and finally, c) to investigate how integrated are students with Speaker's in main stream schooling. Case Study As a secondary school teacher for the past five years in a mainstream school the aim f this case study was to gain a deeper understanding of how Special Needs Assistants help students with Speakers, as well as investigating how included these students are in our educational system.During the initial stages of planning the research, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were considered. Firstly, the use of survey questionnaires was considered to study teachers' perception of their role in educating students with special needs as well as measuring the experience of students with special needs in mainstream schooling. However, the nature of the search questions involved a lot of ethical considerations and the time scale available was not sufficient to address for the purpose of this assignment.Due to the fact that the unit currently catered for two students with Speaker's syndrome a qualitative approach was more appropriate for this research study. The unit in which the research took place is situated in a community college in North Dublin, where the socio-economic profile ranges from working to middle class. There are three Special Needs Assistants currently working in the unit and the unit caters for six full time students with autism and two students with Speakers. The students with Speakers spend the majority of their time in mainstream education but come to the unit if exempt from certain subjects and on a needs basis.For example, if there had been difficulties with behavior or the student required time out for themselves. It was for these reasons that it provided the ideal setting needed to investigate the research questions posed by the autho r. In the initial visit it was clear to the author that the unit was differed in it's lay out and atmosphere too normal class room. The unit was very bright, airy and spacious, as opposed to rows of tables and chairs there ere little working areas. Each of the students had their own working space and computer. The unit also had an art area, kitchen, common room, office and a sensory room.It was immediately sensed by the author that overall it was very relaxed area and the students themselves were very content and calm. The layout of the unit helped to create such an atmosphere giving the students the opportunity to sit at their own workspaces and listen to music if they became agitated. The author was hugely interested in the sensory room especially built for the two students with Speakers. There are frequently sensory issues with those with Speakers meaning that they can have a heightened sense of smell, taste, or sound.Their senses are often hyper-acute resulting in an over-reacti on to ordinary sounds such as fluorescent lights, fans, and other electrical appliances. Thus, things that might be annoying for the average person can be amplified and uncomfortable to the person with Speakers. The aim of the sensory room was to help the students with this hyperactivity of their senses. Also the room was used as a space for them to withdraw if they had being involved in a highly stressful situation for example argument with teacher or another student.Over-reaction to situations is common occurrence for students with Speakers. Therefore, â€Å"time out† is an essential coping mechanism for students with Speakers. Results from eleven studies published from 1989 to 2003 indicated that those students with disabilities, both visible and non-visible, experience bullying more than their non-disabled educational peers and that boys were bullied more often than girls (Adkins, 1996; Memory & Hillier (1989). Both students with Speakers involved in this case study were themselves victims of bullying.John (student one) was recently a victim of bullying and as a consequence was now suffering from very low self esteem. The Special Needs Assistants were working with John, rebuilding his self esteem and helping to create new friendships. In order to accomplish this, the Special Needs Assistants organized that John would learn how to make a pizza and have John invite some students in his class to have a pizza party. San (student two) experienced bullying within the classroom. San has great difficulty differentiating between appropriate and inappropriate social responses.He has learned to be argumentative and aggressive which has caused some problems for him in school. SNan's behavior made him the perfect target for bullying where other students would provoke him within the class causing him to lash out at teachers and at students. The teachers felt that San was the culprit and causing hassle and was often removed from the classroom. Clare his Special Ne eds Assistant is helping him to identify different approaches to certain scenarios' he may encounter in the school environment.She uses teaching material which looks at recognizing SNan's feelings ND improving his social skills. The Special Needs Assistants in the unit are all in agreement that their role is to develop the students social and life skills. Clare highlighted some of the characteristics of the syndrome which include ‘poor choice of words when speaking, motor clumsiness, non-verbal communication and social interaction which is the most noticeable difficulty. Clare stressed that these impairments in social interaction work strongly against people with the syndrome.Therefore, it is important that this area in particular is worked on with the students. While great work is being carried out with the students it can sometimes be difficult for the Special Needs Assistants. While they work on strategies to help San and Johns' behavior in the classroom it can be frustrati ng as cooperation from colleagues doesn't come easy at times. Clare feels this is partially due to the fact that teacher training colleges and universities don't give time to train teachers in regards to special needs.Also Special Needs Assistants are seen as a quick fix for students with special needs. But it can often lead to isolation rather than inclusion for the students. Analyses theoretical aspects One of the most striking aspects of the above case study is the huge impact the lack of social skills has on those students with Speakers, as they can be excluded by other students in a school environment. One of the most significant problems is their difficulty understanding the thoughts and feelings of others, since empathic imagination is lacking (Convict, Dizzied, Hastens, Rogers, & Wolf, 2007).In addition, their brains work differently more effort is required to be in a relationship than for neurological people. As expert Tony Attwood points out, â€Å"Conventional social occ asions can last too long for someone with Speaker's syndrome, especially as social success is achieved by intellectual effort rather than natural intuition. Socializing is exhausting,† (2007, p. 91). So the desire to be social and the difficulties involved with being social are often at odds, creating an uncomfortable dilemma that requires understanding and patience from others.They often behave in unattractive ways to others, leading to repeated rejection and ridicule (Gauss, 2007). Bullying is also common (at least 4 times the rate reported by neurotically from 4-17 years old), nice those with Speakers tend to have a trusting nature along with the inability to predict the thoughts of others (Attwood, 2007). As a result, there is often a lack of adequate social support resulting in a sense of isolation, which has such clinical repercussions as depression and anxiety (Gaudiness, 2005).Speakers display varying degrees of international dysfunction in that some may suffer greatly and be noticed for it while others â€Å"pass† as normal (Standard, 2004). Some examples of unspoken social rule errors those with Speakers make include speaking too loudly in inappropriate situations, cutting ahead of lines, interrupting invitations, failing to notice social cues such as when someone wants to leave or finish a conversation, taking innocent Jokes as serious criticisms, and taking Jokes too literally so that the punch line is not responded to in the desired manner (Gauss).Sensory integration problems that are common in Speakers can make â€Å"touching and physical closeness uncomfortable or even painful† (Love, 2005, p. 199). Unaware individuals may touch or hug a person with Speakers, unwittingly putting him or her in the awkward position of wanting to avoid that person yet still seeming interested in being social. As seen with the case study, the lack of social skills can cause those individuals with Speakers to be Judged negatively by others with hi gher expectations for their functioning, such as parents or teachers. According to Love (2005, p. 72), â€Å"There is research that shows that autism spectrum disorders do seem to cause many people to live in a state of hyper-arousal – a sort of preparing state that can be very debilitating. † Thus, those with Speakers need more time to rest, recuperate and become refreshed between activities causing difficulties in cases where regular work schedules are demanded. In addition, sensory issues like problems tolerating the light wavelengths and intensity of fluorescent lights, which are common in workplaces of all kinds, may interfere with comfort and performance at work (Attwood, 2007). L have spent my life trying to find a place for him in our educational system. It must be appreciated how different children with autism are from each other and no one recipe will work for all children simply because they have a diagnosis of autism/Speaker's † (The Educational Provi sion and Support for Persons with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Report of the Task Force on Autism 2001). Another issue highlighted from the case study was the inclusion of students with Speakers in main stream schooling.Due to the fact that many students with Speakers have proficient verbal expression skills and an overall IQ within the normal or above normal often mask outstanding deficiencies observed primarily in socially demanding situations, thus decreasing other people's perception of their very salient needs for supportive intervention (Kiln and Palomar, 2000. P. 342). ‘Inclusive Education' and ‘mainstreaming' promote the ideal of equality of opportunity, acceptance, belonging and social inclusion by roving choice and quality of support.The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPEES) Act (2004), considers home, school and community sources of information about children with special needs. All can provide perspectives to implement programmer and st rategies that can help the needs of a child with Speakers. However, this collaborative approach can have its difficulties, for example the diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder is a stressful and significant event in the lives of families.Such a diagnosis often follows years of uncertainty where parents struggle to cope tit their child's ‘difference' and try to rationalism behavior that is unusual, unmanageable and often unresponsive to parental controls. In Ireland, diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorders remains problematic, with significant delays being the norm in many instances (The Educational Provision and Support for Persons with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Report of the Task Force on Autism 2001).Also a label can be incredibly systematizing for an individual, and some interpret this dark mark as a message that society has given up on him or her, which may lead to learned lifelessness and giving up on one's self too (Standard, 2004). Another issue of inclusion f or students with Speakers is that inclusion can be left to the discretion of the individual teacher.In a study of provision for pupils with special educational needs by the European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education (1998) it was indicated that the main areas of concern that emerged were teacher training, teachers' attitudes, and the less developed nature of second-level systems in dealing with special educational needs. If inclusion is to be affective the Task Force considers he legal obligation on all schools to submit a Whole School Plan which includes a description of how the school plans to include students with special needs in the mainstream, as an important feature of department policy.Conclusion As seen from the case study improving social skills is important to the development of students with Speakers. Counseling can provide an environment to work on such skills, one such technique is Cognitive behavior therapy (CB). CB teaches people to monitor their own thoughts and perceptions with the hopes that they will become more aware of their interpretive errors.Psychotherapy is becoming more widely perceived as a viable treatment modality for individuals with Speakers (Attwood, 2007; Jacobsen, 2003) and some authors have recommended the use of cognitive- behavioral therapy (Attwood, 1998, 2004, 2006; Gauss, 2007; Hare & paten, 1997). CB can help people with Speakers learn to re-conceptualize social interactions and become more able to more accurately â€Å"read† the behavior of others. Once they understand others' motives they can more easily monitor their own behavior and adjust their responses to other people and situations.It is quiet evident that living tit Speakers poses many obstacles. These obstacles have implications for the individual's personal life, physical well-being and employment. As a Career Guidance and Counselor it is vital to provide appropriate and effective supports and accommodations to students with Speakers. While counseling might be seen to be helpful for students with Speakers, it is vital to acknowledge that they may not have the ability to recognize problems they may be experiencing especially emotions. Therefore, it would be critical to work on the client/counselor relationship in the initial stages.Counselors are able to develop positive relationships with clients when they possess the personal qualities of Warmth, sincerity, congruence, understanding, acceptance, concern, openness, respect for the client and the willingness to be challenged by others' (Corey, G, 2008 IPPP). These characteristics pave the way for counselors to develop positive therapeutic relationships with students, which would be vital to students with Speakers which sometimes are excluded by society. References Attwood, T. (1998). Speaker's syndrome: A guide for parents and professionals. London: Jessica Kinsley Publishers.

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 16

Stefan was surprised to find Mrs. Flowers waiting for them when they returned from their picnic. And, also unusually, she had something to say that didn't involve her gardens. â€Å"There is a message for you upstairs,† she said, jerking her head toward the narrow staircase. â€Å"It came from a dark young fellow – he looked somewhat like you. He wouldn't leave a word with me. Just asked where to leave a message.† â€Å"Dark fellow? Damon?† Elena asked. Stefan shook his head. â€Å"What would he want to be leaving me messages for?† He left Elena with Mrs. Flowers and hastened up the crazy, zigzagging stairs. At the top he found a piece of paper stuffed under the door. It was a Thinking of You card, sans envelope. Stefan, who knew his brother, doubted that it had been paid for – with money, at least. Inside, in heavy black felt-tipped pen, were the words: DON'T NEED THIS. THOUGHT ST. STEFAN MIGHT. MEET ME TONIGHT AT THE TREE WHERE THE HUMANS CRASHED. NO LATER THAN 4:30A.M . I'LL GIVE YOU THE SCOOP. D. That was all†¦except for a Web address. Stefan was about to throw the note in the wastebasket when curiosity assailed him. He turned on the computer, directed it to the proper website, and watched. For a while, nothing happened. Then very dark gray letters on a black screen appeared. To a human, it would have appeared to be a completely blank screen. To vampires, with their higher visual acuity, the gray on black was faint but clear. Tired of that lapis lazuli? Want to take a vacation in Hawaii? Sick of that same old liquid cuisine? Come and visit Shi no Shi. Stefan started to close the page, but something stopped him. He sat and stared at the inconspicuous little ad beneath the poem until he heard Elena at the door. He quickly closed the computer and went to take the picnic basket from her. He said nothing about the note or what he'd seen on the computer screen. But as the night went on, he thought more and more. â€Å"Oh! Stefan, you'll break my ribs! You squeezed all my breath out!† â€Å"I'm sorry. I just need to hold you.† â€Å"Well, I need to hold you, too.† â€Å"Thank you, angel.† Everything was quiet in the room with the high ceiling. One window was open, letting the moonlight through. In the sky, even the moon seemed to creep stealthily along, and the shaft of moonlight followed it on the hardwood floor. Damon smiled. He had had a long, restful day and now he meant to have an interesting night. Getting through the window wasn't quite as easy as he'd expected. When he arrived as a huge, glossy black crow, he was expecting to balance on the windowsill and change to human form to open the window. But the window had a trap on it – it was linked by Power to one of the sleepers inside. Damon puzzled over it, preening himself viciously, afraid to put any tension on that thin link, when something arrived beside him in a flutter of wings. It looked like no respectable crow ever registered in the sighting book of any ornithologist. It was sleek enough, but its wings were tipped with scarlet, and it had golden, shining eyes. Shinichi?Damon asked. Who else?came the reply as a golden eye fixed on him.I see you have a problem. But it can be fixed. I'll deepen their sleep so that you can cut the link. Don't!Damon said reflexively.If you so much as touch either of them, Stefan will – The answer came in soothing tones.Stefan's just a boy, remember? Trust me. You do trust me, don't you? And it worked out exactly as the demonically colored bird said it would. The sleepers inside slept more deeply, and then more deeply still. A moment later the window opened, and Damon changed form and was inside. His brother and†¦and she†¦the one he alwayshad to watch†¦shewas lying asleep, her golden hair lying across the pillow and lying across his brother's body. Damon tore his eyes away. There was a medium-sized, slightly outdated computer on the desk in the corner. He went over to it and without the slightest hesitation turned it on. The two on the bed never stirred. Files†¦aha.Diary. How original a name. Damon opened it and examined the contents. Dear Diary, I woke up this morning and – marvel of marvels – I'mmeagain. I walk, talk, drink, wet the bed (well, I haven't yet, but I'm sure I could if I tried). I'm back. It's been one hell of a journey. I died, dearest Diary, I really died. And then I died as a vampire. And don't expect me to describe what happened either time – believe me; you had to be there. The important thing is that I was gone, but now I'm back again – and, oh, dear patient friend who has been keeping my secrets since kindergarten†¦I am so glad to be back. On the debit side, I can never live with Aunt Judith or Margaret again. They think I'm â€Å"resting in peace† with the angels. On the credit side, I can live with Stefan. This is the compensation for all I've been through – I don't know how to compensate those who went to the very gates of Hell forme. Oh, I'm tired and – might as well say it – eager for a night with my darling. I'm very happy. We had a fine day, laughing and loving, and watching each of my friends' faces as they saw mealive! (And notinsane, which I gather is how I have been acting the past few days. Honestly, you'd think Great Spirits Inna Sky could have dropped me off with my marbles all in order. Oh, well.) Love ya, Elena Damon's eyes skimmed over these lines impatiently. He was looking for something quite different. Ah. Yes. This was more like it: My dearest Elena, I knew you would look here sooner or later. I hope you never have to see it at all. If you're reading this, then Damon is a traitor, or something else has gone terribly wrong. A traitor? That seemed a little strong, Damon thought, hurt, but also burning with an intense desire to get on with his task. I'm going out to the woods to talk to him tonight – if I don't come back, you'll know where to start asking questions. The truth is that I don't exactly understand the situation. Earlier today, Damon sent me a card with a Web address on it. I've put the card under your pillow, love. Oh damn, thought Damon. It was going to be hard to get that card without waking her. But he had to do it. Elena, follow this Web link. You'll have to dither with the brightness controls because it's been created for vampire eyes only. What the link seems to be saying is that there is a place calledShi no Shi – literally translated, it says, asthe Death of Death, where they can remove this curse which has haunted me for almost half a millennium. They use magic and science in combination to restore former vampires to simple men and women, boys and girls. If they truly can do this, Elena, we can be together for as long as ordinary people live. That's all I ask of life. I want it. I want to have the chance to stand before you as an ordinary breathing, eating human. But don't worry.I'm just going to talk with Damon about this. You don't need to command me to stay. I would never leave you with all the goings-on in Fell's Church right now. It's too dangerous for you, especially with your new blood and your new aura. I realize that I'm trusting Damon more than I probably should. But of one thing I am certain:he would never harm you.He loves you. How can he help it? Still, I have to meet with him at least, on his terms, alone at a particular location in the wood. Then we'll see what we see. As I said before, if you're reading this letter, it means that something has gone drastically wrong. Defend yourself, love. Don't be afraid. Trust yourself. And trust your friends. They can all help you. I trust Matt's instinctive protectiveness for you, Meredith's judgment, and Bonnie's intuition. Tell them to remember that. I'm hoping that you never have to read this, with all my love, my heart, my soul, Stefan P.S. Just in case, there is $20,000 in hundred-dollar bills under the second floorboard from the wall, across from the bed. Right now the rocking chair is over it. You'll see the crack easily if you move the chair. Carefully, Damon deleted the words in this file. Then, with one corner of his mouth quirked up, he carefully, silently typed in new words with a rather different meaning. He read them over. He smiled brilliantly. He'd always fancied himself a writer; no formal training of course, but he felt he had an instinctive flair for it. And that was Step One accomplished, Damon thought, saving the file with his words instead of Stefan's. Then, noiselessly, he walked to where Elena was sleeping, spooned behind Stefan on the narrow bed. Now for Step Two. Slowly, very slowly, Damon slipped his fingers under the pillow on which Elena's head rested. He could feel Elena's hair where it spilled on her pillow in the moonlight, and the ache that it awoke was more in his chest than in his canines. Inching his fingers under the pillow, he searched for something smooth. Elena murmured in her sleep and suddenly turned over. Damon almost jumped back into the shadows, but Elena's eyes were shut, her lashes a thick inky crescent on her cheeks. She was facing him now, but strangely Damon didn't find himself tracing the blue veins in her fair, smooth skin. He found himself staring hungrily at her slightly parted lips. They were†¦almost impossible to resist. Even in sleep they were the color of rose petals, slightly moist, and parted that way†¦. I could do it very lightly. She would never know. I could, I know I could. I feel invincible tonight. As he bent toward her his fingers touched cardboard. It seemed to jerk him out of a dream world. What had he been thinking? Risking everything, all his plans, for akiss ? There would be plenty of time for kisses – and other, much more important things – later. He slipped the little card out from under the pillow and put it in his pocket. Then he became a crow and vanished from the windowsill. Stefan had long ago perfected the art of sleeping only until a certain moment, then awakening. He did this now, glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece to confirm that it was fourA.M . exactly. He didn't want to awaken Elena. He dressed soundlessly and exited the window by the same route his brother had – only as a hawk. Somewhere, he was sure Damon was being made a fool by someone using malachs to make him their puppet. And Stefan, still pumped up with Elena's blood, felt that he had a duty to stop them. The note Damon had delivered had directed him to the tree where the humans had crashed. Damon would also want to continually revisit that tree until he'd traced the malach puppets to their puppeteer. He swooped, drifted, and once almost gave a mouse a heart attack by stooping down on it suddenly before rocketing skyward again. And then, in midair, as he saw evidence of a car hitting a tree, he changed from a glorious hawk to a young man with dark hair, a pale face, and intensely green eyes. He drifted, light as a snowflake, down to the ground and gazed in each direction, using all his vampire senses to test the area. He could feel nothing of a trap; no animosity, just the unmistakable signs of the trees' violent fight. He stayed human to climb the tree that bore the psychic imprint of his brother. He wasn't chilly as he climbed the oak his brother had been lounging in when the accident had taken place at his feet. He had too much of Elena's blood running through him to feel the cold. But he was aware that this area of the forest was particularly cold; that something was keeping it that way. Why? He'd already claimed the rivers and forests that ran through Fell's Church, so why take up lodging here without telling him? Whatever it was, it would have to present itself before him eventually, if it wanted to stay in Fell's Church. Why wait? he wondered, as he squatted on the branch. He felt Damon's presence coming at him long before his senses would have noticed it in the days before Elena's transformation, and he kept himself from flinching. Instead he turned with his back to the trunk of the tree and looked outward. He could feel Damon speeding toward him, faster and faster, stronger and stronger – and then Damon should have been there, standing before him, but he wasn't. Stefan frowned. â€Å"It always pays to look up, little brother,† advised a charming voice above him, and then Damon, who had been clinging to the tree like a lizard, did a forward flip and landed on Stefan's branch. Stefan said nothing, merely examining his older brother. At last he said, â€Å"You're in good spirits.† â€Å"I've had a sumptuous day,† Damon said. â€Å"Shall I name them off to you? There was the greeting-card shop girl†¦Elizabeth, and my dear friend Damaris, whose husband works in Bronston, and little young Teresa who volunteers at the library, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Stefan sighed. â€Å"Sometimes I think you could remember the name of every girl you've bled in your life, but you forget my name on a regular basis,† he said. â€Å"Nonsense†¦little brother. Now, since Elena has undoubtedly explained to you just what happened when I tried to rescue your miniature witch – Bonnie – I feel I'm due an apology.† â€Å"And sinceyou sent me a note that I can only construe as provocative, I really feelI'm due an explanation.† â€Å"Apology first,† Damon rapped out. And then, in long-suffering tones, â€Å"I'm sure you think it's bad enough, having promised Elena when she was dying that you would look after me – forever. But you never seem to realize that I had to promise the same thing, and I'm not exactly the caretaking type. Now that she's not dead anymore, maybe we should just forget it.† Stefan sighed again. â€Å"All right, all right. I apologize. I was wrong. I shouldn't have thrown you out. Is that enough?† â€Å"I'm not sure you really mean it. Try it once more, with feel – â€Å" â€Å"Damon, what in God's name was the website about?† â€Å"Oh. I thought it was rather clever: they got the colors so close that only vampires or witches or such could read it, whereas humans would just see a blank screen.† â€Å"But how did you find out about it?† â€Å"I'll tell you in a moment. But just think of it, little brother. You and Elena, on the perfect little honeymoon, just two more humans in a world of humans. The sooner you go, the sooner you can sing ;;Ding Dong, the Corpse Is Dead'!† â€Å"I still want to know how youjust happened to come across this website.† â€Å"All right. I admit it: I've been suckered into the age of technology at last. I have my own website. And a very helpful young man contacted me just to see whether I really meant the things I said on it or if I was just a frustrated idealist. I figured that description fit you.† â€Å"You – a website? I don't believe – â€Å" Damon ignored him. â€Å"I passed the message along because I'd already heard of the place, theShi no Shi .† â€Å"TheDeath of Death , it said.† â€Å"That's how it was translated to me.† Damon turned a thousand-kilowatt smile on Stefan, boring into him, until finally Stefan turned away, feeling as if he'd been exposed to the sun without his lapis ring. â€Å"As a matter of fact,† Damon went on chattily, â€Å"I've invited the fellow himself to come and to explain it to you.† â€Å"You didwhich ?† â€Å"He should be here at 4:44 exactly. Don't blame me for the timing; it's something special to him.† And then with very little fuss, and certainly no Power at all that Stefan could discern, something landed in the tree above them and dropped down to their branch, changing as it did. It was, indeed, a young man, with fire-tipped black hair and serene golden eyes. As Stefan swung toward him, he held up both hands in a gesture of helplessness and surrender. â€Å"Who the hell are you?† â€Å"I'm the hell Shinichi,† the young man said easily. â€Å"But, as I told your brother, most people call me just Shinichi. Of course, it's up to you.† â€Å"And you know all about the Shi no Shi.† â€Å"Nobody knows all about it. It's a place – and an organization. I'm a little partial to it because† – Shinichi looked shy – â€Å"well, I guess I just like to help people.† â€Å"And now you want to help me.† â€Å"If you truly want to become human†¦I know a way.† â€Å"I'll just leave the two of you to talk about it, shall I?† said Damon. â€Å"Three's a crowd, especially on this branch.† Stefan looked at him sharply. â€Å"If you have any slightest thought of stopping by the boardinghouse†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"With Damaris already waiting for me? Honestly, little brother.† And Damon changed to crow form before Stefan could ask him to give his sworn word. Elena turned over in bed, reaching automatically for a warm body next to her. What her fingers found, however, was a cool, Stefan-shaped hollow. Her eyes opened. â€Å"Stefan?† The darling. They were so in tune that it was like being one person – he always knew when she was about to wake up. He'd probably gone down to get her breakfast – Mrs. Flowers always had it steaming hot for him when he went down (further proof that she was a witch of the white variety) – and Stefan brought up the tray. â€Å"Elena,† she said, testing her old-new voice just to hear herself talk. â€Å"Elena Gilbert, girl, you have had too many breakfasts in bed.† She patted her stomach. Yes, definitely in need of exercise. â€Å"All right, then,† she said, still aloud. â€Å"Start with limbering up and breathing. Then some mild stretching.† All of which, she thought, could be put aside when Stefan showed up. But Stefan didn't show up, even when she lay exhausted from a full hour's routine. And he wasn't coming up the stairs, bringing up a cup of tea, either. Where was he? Elena looked out their one-view window and caught a glimpse of Mrs. Flowers below. Elena's heart had begun beating hard during her aerobic exercise and had never really slowed down properly. Though it was likely impossible to start a conversation with Mrs. Flowers this way she shouted down, â€Å"Mrs. Flowers?† And, wonder of wonders, the lady stopped pinning a sheet on the clothesline and looked up. â€Å"Yes, Elena dear?† â€Å"Where's Stefan?† The sheet billowed around Mrs. Flowers and made her disappear. When the billow straightened out, she was gone. But Elena had her eyes on the laundry basket. It was still there. She shouted, â€Å"Don't go away!† and hastened to put on jeans and her new blue top. Then, hopping down the stairs as she buttoned, she burst out into the back garden. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers!† â€Å"Yes, Elena dear?† Elena could just see her between billowing yards of white fabric. â€Å"Have you seen Stefan?† â€Å"Not this morning, dear.† â€Å"Not atall ?† â€Å"I get up with the dawn, regular. His car was gone then, and it hasn't come back.† Now Elena's heart was pounding in good earnest. She'd always been afraid of something like this. She took one deep breath and ran back up the staircase without pausing. Note, note†¦ He'd never leave her without a note. And there was no note on his pillow. Then she thought ofher pillow. Her hands scrabbled frantically under it, and then under his pillow. At first she didn't turn the pillows over, because she wanted so badly for the note to be there – and because she was so afraid of what it might say. At last, when it was clear that there was nothing under those pillows but the bed sheet, she flipped them and stared at the empty white blankness for a long time. Then she pulled the bed away from the wall, in case the note had fallen down behind it. Somehow she felt that if she just kept looking, she must find it. In the end she'd shaken out all the bedding and ended up staring at the white sheets again, accusingly, ever so often running her hands over them. And that ought to be good, because it meant Stefan hadn'tgone somewhere – except that she'd left the closet door open and she could see, without even meaning to, a bunch of empty hangers. He'd taken all his clothes. And emptiness on the bottom of the closet. He'd taken every pair of shoes. Not that he had ever owned much. But everything that he needed to make a trip away was gone – and he was gone. Why? Where? Howcould he? Even if it turned out that he'd left in order to scout them out a new place to live, howcould he? He'd get the fight of his life when he came back – – if he came back. Chilled to the bone, aware that tears were running unmeant and almost unnoticed down her cheeks, she was about to call up Meredith and Bonnie when she thought of something. Her diary.

Investing in Equities Case of Morrison Supermarkets Plc Essay

Investing in Equities Case of Morrison Supermarkets Plc - Essay Example The organization was selected due to its recent trend in performance, operations, and positioning within the industry. Tables 1, 2 and 3 in the Appendices show the operations, performance, and market positioning of Morrison Supermarket Plc. In terms of the performances, Morrison has provided a positive indicate especially in respect to the market capitalization as well as the volume of shares traded (Table 2). On the other hand, Table 2 shows that amongst the various players in the industry, Morrison Supermarket Plc had experienced a positive change in the share price. Lastly, Table 3 provides a deeper understanding of the performance of the Morrison Supermarket Plc hence justifying the reason behind its investment. From the information contained in Tables 1, 2 and 3, it is clear that Morrison Supermarket Plc is a profitable organization to invest in shares or other securities. The fact that during the fiscal year 2010 Morrison Supermarket Plc was able to pay dividends. The fact that the firm was able to pay dividends is a clear justification that investing in this organization is likely to yield to more profits and returns. Therefore, this was the main motivation behind the investment of ?10,000 in shares between 2008 November and 2012 December. In this report, findings, which are in terms of financial analyses, are provided. The report concludes by an overview of the investment process as well as recommendations towards further investments. Findings The investment involved buying shares worth ?10,000 between 2008 November and 2012 December. Table 4 within the Appendices provides the value of shares at the beginning and at the end of 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. The following calculations are based on the figures in Table 4 within the Appendices section. Assumptions: The following are the assumptions used in writing this report: 1. The earned dividends were reinvested throughout the years. 2. The total amount obtained from the amount invested and the divi dend earned is invested at the beginning of a fiscal year hence the close price of the beginning of the year is applied In November 2008, the share price = ?242.50 (close) Total Amount of investment = ?10,000 It is important to calculate the number of shares since dividend is usually earned per share. Therefore, the number of shares will be given by the following formula: No of shares bought in 2008 = 41 shares. The following table shows how the 41 shares earned dividends and how the dividends were re-invested and more shares bought (NB. The table is obtained from calculations performed in an Excel function; the Excel file is attached) Based on the above assumptions, the calculations were done on the Excel (Excel file attached) and the following table shows the results. The table is also obtained in Table 5 of the Appendices. Date Amount Close Price Shares Dividend Earned Dividends Total Amount Nov-08 10,000.00 242.50 41.24 0.00 10,000.00 May-09 10,000.00 242.50 41.24 5.00 206.19 10 ,206.19 Sep-09 10,206.19 236.50 43.16 1.08 46.61 10,252.79 May-10 10,252.79 280.00 36.62 7.12 260.71 10,513.51 Sep-10 10,513.51 266.10 39.51 1.23 48.60 10,562.10 May-11 10,562.10 293.80 35.95 8.73 313.84 10,875.95 Sep-11 10,875.95 297.70 36.53 3.17 115.81 10,991.76 May-12 10,991.76 302.20 36.37 7.53 273.88 11,265.64 Sep-12 11,265.64 266.10 42.34 3.49 147.75 11,413.40 Total 1,413.40 11,413.40 From the above table it is evident that there was a return of ?1,413.40 on the ?10,000 amount invested in shares between November 2008 and September 2012. Ratio Analysis for 2012/2013 In a bid to provide further justification on the reasons for the selection of

Uses of the private browsing feature offered by major internet Essay

Uses of the private browsing feature offered by major internet browsers - Essay Example As such, other users of the same computer will not be able to track one’s communication and the pages on social sites that they have visited. Closely related to this point is that people turn on the feature when accessing sites that they do not wish their partners or family members to view, or when performing research on a subject that they consider private. For example, people accessing pornographic sites or sites that feature adult products turn on the feature to hide their tracks (lifehacker, 2012). The feature is also useful at home when planning surprises and buying gifts online (Lienjdlien, 2010). The target of the surprise is not able to detect what is in store for them as no trace of sites visited by a person is left behind. At home, the private browsing feature is also used when visiting or opening pages that are potentially dangerous or intrusive according to Lienjdlien (2010). For example, the feature may be turned on to filter out adverts or sites that may contain viruses. At work, the private browsing feature acts as a security measure against possible threats when performing online transactions (Lienjdlien, 2010). As a security measure against online threats when performing transactions, the feature is also applicable at the home. The feature is also used when one has to log onto a private account from a computer that is publicly accessed. The feature in this case prevents other persons from gaining access to private accounts once an individual has logged off from them. The feature is also important when one needs to hide their tracks and keep the computer’s browser free of information that is not relevant (Lienjdlien, 2010). Web developers enter the private mode with an aim of testing websites’ session and cookie related aspects (lifehacker, 2012). At work, one may use the private browsing feature to manage multiple accounts simultaneously on a single website. For example, if one has several gmail accounts

The Columbian Exchange had significant global consequences for Europe, Essay

The Columbian Exchange had significant global consequences for Europe, The Americas, as well as for Africa - Essay Example The most significant items that moved from Americas to the other parts of the world were potatoes and corn, which were economical to grow and nourishing. Potatoes supplied fundamental vitamins and overtime the crops became a crucial and steady part of diets across the planet. Nevertheless, traffic across the Atlantic never travelled in one direction since the Europeans introduced several livestock animals in Americas that included horses, sheep, pigs, cattle and sheep. Foods from Africa as well as the crops that came from Asia were moved to the west through the European ships. Some features of the exchange had disastrous impacts on Native Americans since disease was part of the exchange. For instance, diseases brought by Europeans like smallpox and measles resulted in death of many Native Americans (Bulliet 519; â€Å"The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade† 572-574). ... tive populations by diseases demanded labor that was met by forced movement of more than 12 million Africans in the period between the 16th and 19th century (McCook 13; Nunn and Nancy 164). There are many infectious diseases that resulted from Columbian exchange the main killers being malaria, smallpox, measles and chicken pox. Since Native Americans never experienced the diseases prior to the coming of the Europeans, the natives were immunologically defenseless. Before the invasion of the Europeans who initiated Columbian exchange, Native Americans lived in an environment relatively free of diseases since they never suffered from smallpox, measles, chickenpox or malaria. The exchange of food in the old and new worlds during Columbian exchange had considerable consequences in the world history since it increased the global provision of agricultural foods through the introduction of new species. Moreover, the invention of the Americas presented the old world with a vast amount of comp aratively uninhabited land that was suited for farming of certain crops in demand within the old world markets. Food crops such as coffee, soybeans, sugar, oranges and bananas were pioneered in the Americas and the Americas became main suppliers of those crops globally (Nunn and Nancy 163). Introduction of the various calorically rich staple crops had the benefit of growing the crops in climates that were inappropriate for cultivation of other staples. The American food crops have various demands on soil, cultivation and weather compared to former staple crops since they have different growing seasons. The American crops never compete with old world crops but rather complement them since the American crops enabled farmers to produce food in soils that were previously rated as useless

Homework1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homework1 - Essay Example In addition, it has opened the country for more foreign investment despite local opposition. This move differs with the way the US government handles infrastructure in its country. The US government invested heavily in its local infrastructure making every part of the country available for trade (Sharma & Mukherji, 2013). c. The Indian government is trying to control the level of involvement of foreign investors in the local trade. This system tries to benefit the local people as the government works to their interest. On the other hand, the system has harmed foreign investors as they find it difficult to access the produce despite the amount of resources at their disposal (Sharma & Mukherji, 2013). d. Wal-Mart would be good for India because of its experience in procuring produce from the small farmers in upgrading a poor supply chain. It has shown success in many countries including Mexico, China, and Brazil (Sharma & Mukherji, 2013). a. There has been constant pressure that resulted to low price on Chinas products. Since the US does not pay an extra amount to cater for a clean production system, China producers do not include cleaning cost in their production (Spencer, 2007). b. With a high production cost, there would a high pricing on an item. However, with a market that requires low pricing on goods despite the cost of production, the company would lower its production cost to match the market price. Instead of spending to treat the wastes, the Chinese producers opt to releasing it in the rivers, reducing production cost (Spencer, 2007). a. Internet connection is expensive for some families who have to meet other needs. Despite this, rise in technology has taken root in education, being a disadvantage to those students without an internet connection (Troianovski,

Texas Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Texas Government - Essay Example It required clinics that performed abortion to meet surgical standards as those in hospital-style surgical centers and mandated that a doctor have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the facility where he or she performed abortions (National Women Corporate Center). Democrats and abortion rights advocates, in a bid to stop the legislation, said that this law could result to most of the 42 clinics in the state which performed abortions to close as they would incur a lot of expenses in a bid to be licensed as to perform abortion: expensive renovations or relocations to meet equipment and architectural standards (National Women Corporate Center). Given that the legislature was controlled by the Republicans then, passing of the law a simple task as seen on the concept map. By passing the anti-abortion bill, it went against the woman’s fourteenth amendment right to choose to terminate pregnancy before vitality. This was clearly a violation of women’s constitutional right. This law also denied a woman the ability to make an extremely personal medical decision. In addition, mandatory ultrasound laws presented disrespect for women’s decision making abilities and clinical judgment of a doctor. In 2013, Texas passed laws requiring abortion providers to have admission privileges at hospitals. This law clearly gave hospitals more powers than doctors. Passing the laws that many clinics did not meet the stated surgical standards, requiring them to be upgraded to the expected standards, resulted to many clinics being closed. This deprived the women fundamental constitutional rights. In Texas the district court judge blocked this provision from going into effect, this decision was reversed by the appellate court and U.S. Supreme Court did not reinstate the district court’s injunction (Besset, 6). Although the law is in effect, this case is still under

Sustainable Development of Tourism Snowdonia Park Dissertation

Sustainable Development of Tourism Snowdonia Park - Dissertation Example This essay declares that Snowdonia is a region of north Wales and a National Park spread over 2170 square kilometres. The Park is governed by the 18 member Snowdonia National Park Authority, which is made up of local government and Welsh national representatives. This paper makes a conclusion that literature has been briefly reviewed at this stage to develop an overview for the current thinking and has been extended to cover a few books, Journals and some relevant sites on the Internet. The survey targets identifying and understanding recommended practices from academe, practical project experiences and opinions of policy drivers. Unmanaged tourism can threaten the economy and ecology of a region. Sustainable tourism sees tourism as a triangular relationship between host areas and their habitats and peoples, holidaymakers, and the tourism industry†. Sustainable tourism aims to reconcile the tensions between the three partners in the triangle, and maintain the equilibrium in the long term (ibid). Sustainable tourism aims to minimise environmental and cultural damage, optimise visitor enjoyment, and maximize long- term economic growth for the region. It is way of obtaining a balance between the growth potential of tourism and the conserva tion needs of the environment. The presence of a tourism centre in an area adds to the quality of life of residents and contributes to their economic well being. However, the economic benefits of the presence of a tourist centre or cost of lack of it have not being seriously considered.

Economy and Telecommunication Networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Economy and Telecommunication Networks - Essay Example TDF has its disadvantages too in that division of labour leads to greater interdependency thus developed countries like the US allow and favor free flow of information to ensure management and coordination of other countries (Kamalipour, 2007). Therefore, TDF leads to developed countries controling the developing countries because of heir overreliability to their countries. Secondly according to Sawhney, ‘industrielaizedcountries take a disappropiate share of the additional wealth produced by specialization and leave the ordinary workers poorly compensated for their contribution’ (Sawhney, 1998). Lastly, TDF also leadsds to developed countries using it as a means to challenge local authority in third world countries. The most interesting issue in this book is the division of labour. This is issue is most interseting because in my view, this is where it all began. This is root cause of telecomunications data flow and other technologies. It is amazing how in the past business people could achieve produciton succesfully while using all locally available raw materials and complete a product from scratches. It is also pitiable that products that could be easily transported were only light high value goods like silk, which furthermore could only be afforded by the rich. Indeed division of labour has changed the world in that common people can affrod foreign producst . Moreover, division of labour has increased production rate, and enhanced specialization which has further led to quality due to experience, while also cutting on

Neanderthal Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Neanderthal - Term Paper Example The group of mammals was named Neanderthals under homo sapiens as dubbed as homo sapiens neanderthalensis (Trinkaus, 1978). From the studies conducted on the skeletons, it has been theorized that the Neanderthals lived during the ice age, thus their name. Researchers based their conclusions basically from the general features of the skeletal remains where it was observed that the Neanderthals had short limbs and a deep, wide ribcage which allowed lesser surface area exposed to the atmosphere and making the internal organs embedded deep within the body to make them warm (bbc.co.uk, 2005). Aside from showing their ability to adapt to the extreme cold during the ice age because of their physical features, they also tell about their way of living. For instance, the bone structures show an exaggerated massiveness in the trunk and limbs of the Neanderthal males and females (Trinkaus, 1978). This could be traced to how they got their food, through hunting. Professor John Shea (bbc.co.uk, 2005) concludes from studying the hunting materials of the Neanderthals that the spears they used were not purposely shot fro m afar but were used on a face to face encounter with their prey. Because the tools were not as sharp to have been used in attacking from a distance, the theory is that, the Neanderthals had to wait on the wild animals until they get near before attacking them. This explains the muscle developments of the Neanderthals as shown by the skeletons and also helps to give light to the fractures found in some of the Neanderthal bones. For instance, Shanidar 3 (Trinkaus, 1978) has a scar o the rib which, based from studies, is theorized to be from an injury during a fight with a fellow Neanderthal or an accidental injury. The predecessors of the homo sapiens were found to have a similar brain size to the modern man (bbc.co.uk, 2005; Tattersall

Aggressive acts in popular TV programmes Essay Example for Free

Aggressive acts in popular TV programmes Essay In this piece of coursework I am trying to find out whether aggressive acts in popular TV programmes cause children to act more violently. The participants used in this experiment will be children aged between 5 and 10. I think that the more aggressive acts there are in the popular TV programmes the more aggressive the child will act after watching the programme.  Most of us recognise aggression when we see it but the reason the person is being aggressive we find hard to determine. One common way to determine aggression is by saying there are 2 types instrumental and hostile aggression. Instrumental aggression is used to achieve a specific goal, perhaps to protect yourself or to try and get your own way. This form of aggression is not always accompanied by anger. Hostile aggression is aimed at damaging someone or something, and is often done in anger. The social learning theory says that we learn not only through reinforcement but also by observing other people and imitating their behaviour, which is called observational learning. A psychologist named Albert Bandura studies of aggression are based on the teachings of the social learning theory. He found out the following points:  Observation  Always we are watching people, and children in particular spend a lot of time observing others. While observing others they pick up on what they say and how they say it. The see how other people react to what is said or done, and observe the consequences of other peoples behaviour. If the behaviour is imitated by the observer we know the behaviour has been learned. For example a boy might kick his teddy bear in the same way as he seen his hero in a cartoon punch another character. The child may imitate the sounds which the hero in a cartoon makes. If the hero was rewarded or shown admiration for its actions in the cartoon then the child is more likely to imitate the heros behaviour. This is an example of vicarious reinforcement. Reinforcement  If the child is rewarded for its actions it is more likely to perform the behaviour. If the boy imitates a character on the TV and is rewarded by the carer the behaviour is likely to continue. If the carer disapproves of the behaviour of the child and punishes then the child is less likely to perform the behaviour again.  Albert Banduras Research On Aggression  Albert Bandura performed a number of experiments which focused on the effect of children watching an adult behave aggressively. For example, Bandura and friends (1961) arranged for an adult to hit and kick a large inflatable doll (called a Bobo doll) whilst the child was in the room. Afterwards the child had a chance to play with a variety of toys, including the doll, whilst the adult was present. Bandura in later experiments changed this procedure, because he showed a child a film of someone being aggressive to the doll in the environmental condition. In the control condition children watched a non-violent film. They were watched afterwards whilst playing and a number of incidents of aggression were noted. When participants were asked to replicate as much of the models behaviour as they could remember, most were able to do so accurately regardless of whether the model had been reinforced or punished. Some of the children who had not been aggressive towards the doll, even though they could do so accurately when asked. These children had learned the behaviour even though they did not imitate it. The Role Of The Media In Aggression  Banduras research indicated that children could learn new ways of being aggressive from their observation of models. This raised the question of what role the media might play in encouraging aggression and violence in society. The way aggression and violence in films, cartoons, TV programmes, computer games and books are presented provides models which children and adults may imitate. As a result of this, there was a huge increase in the research to discover the level and type of violence shown in the media, and what role the medias presentation of violence might play in aggressive behaviour. T. Williams and colleagues (1986), studied children in three Canadian towns and were compared to discover whether television had an influence on their levels of aggression. At the start of the study, one town had no television (Notel), another town had one channel (Unitel) and a third had several channels (Multitel). A year later Notel had one channel, Unitel had two channels. The researchers measured childrens levels of aggression before channels were added and again one year afterwards. The observed the children in playgrounds, and asked teachers and children to rate aggression. Aggression both verbally and physically increased after Notel children began watching TV, and this for both boys and girls. In addition Williams found a positive correlation between the amount of time a child watched TV and the amount of aggression he or she showed.

Relationship between Theory and Practice Essay Example for Free

Relationship between Theory and Practice Essay Cognitive development indicates growth of the ability to reflect and explain. Lev Semionovich Vygotsky and Jean Piaget were greatly contributed to the cognitive development section of Psychology. The way small kids discover surrounding environment and psychologically develop plays a key role in their learning processes and skills. By learning the process of cognitive development supervisors give themselves a chance to great extent meet the requirements of the individual demands of each separate child. Vygotsky and Piaget were considered to be constructivists. Constructivism is a method of training and learning based on the idea that cognition is the consequence of psychological construction. To put it differently, children obtain knowledge making compatible their previous experience and new fresh information. Constructivists believe that learning is influenced by the situation in which a concept is delivered also by childrens attitudes and values. Another common feature between Vygotsky and Piaget is that they both think that the limits of cognitive development were set by societal influences. Unfortunately, this is the point where the correspondence between Vygotsky and Piaget comes to an end. There is a great difference between both theories of highly indicated scientists. Piaget claimed that mental growth came from activity. He believed that students learn by means of communicating with their surroundings and that learning takes place after growth. On the other hand, Vygotsky held that knowledge takes place prior to the growth that can occur and that children learn because of history and symbolism. Vygotsky also claimed that students appreciate effort from their surrounding environment and from other people such as teachers and parents as well. Piaget did not consider the latter to be true. Vygotskys and Piaget concepts on cognitive development also have different attitudes. School systems and teachers have been practicing the cognitive development theories of Vygotsky and Piaget for quite a while. A good illustration of Piagentian training could be arranged in a preschool environment. Through the preschool period Piaget considers students as being at the Preoperational level and as a consequence they are more likely to be self-centered. Consequently, it would be fair to discuss things with preschool age children from their own points of view as they will feel their experiences are unique and precious. During classroom activities one student might say the glass of milk that another student brought to classroom to share is half empty while the student who brought the glass may consider the glass to be half full. Neither student is wrong in this example, the glass can be characterized by both descriptions but they may believe it due to the fact that each accordingly likes or dislikes milk. Application of Vygotskys cognitive development theory could occur in a first grade classroom. First grade children are frequently characterized by having varying stages of knowledge. Some students may already know letters and how to read while others are still making attempt to improve this process. An optimal option to assist the students who are not reading as well as the others includes ensuring these children aid speaking out a word when they get stuck while reading a text. With these preliminary considerations in mind it would be well to conclude that cognitive development plays a central part in learning and thinking approaches of students. Vygotsky and Piaget provide valuable knowledge and data into the possible ways students learn and by employing these concepts it is possible to design a more advantageous learning context for each student. To get deeper understanding of Vygotsky’s theory it would be useful to visit the web-site http://www. newfoundations. com/gallery/Vygotsky. html. It suggests a number of approaches provided by in-depth studies and research of the scientist. Vygotsky tries to find answers to questions such as â€Å"What is a human being? †, â€Å"What is knowledge? †, â€Å"What is learning? †, â€Å"What is society? †, or â€Å"Who is to be educated? †. One more web resource that provides valuable insight into the researches conducted by Piaget is http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/piaget. html. To apply theory into practice we may observe that preoperational stage includes symbolism which means that the child already understands parallel notions of objects. For instance, to develop business skills from the early age it would be very useful to set an activity where objects replace real things: paper instead of money, books instead of TV-sets to be sold, etc. These two particular web-sites were chosen because besides the theory itself they also include practice and illustrations. They describe how the results of the studies may be applied in learning and teaching processes.

The Life Of John C Calhoun History Essay

The Life Of John C Calhoun History Essay Throughout his lifetime, John Caldwell Calhoun achieved many different titles. He had experience as a statesman, a political philosopher, a secretary of war, a secretary of state, a member of the Senate, a member of Congress, the leading champion of Southern rights, and even Vice President of the United States (USGenWeb 1). No matter what position he held, his views and dreams for the South stayed consistent. During his career as vice president, he constantly pushed Jackson to help keep the South alive (Bartlett 26). Calhoun spent much of his life promoting growth of the South. John Calhoun was born on a South Carolina farm in 1782. His father, Patrick Calhoun, was a very religious man who treated his son very badly. He was a judge, owned countless slaves, and had also served in the South Carolina legislature (Capers 4). John, however, graduated from Yale in 1804 and studied law at Tapping Reeves in Litchfield, CN (Capers 9-11). In 1811, John married a distant cousin and had 9 children. Calhouns marriage brought him great fortune. As a result, Calhoun built a plantation called Fort Hill in 1825 (Bartlett 39). As time went by, Calhoun began involving himself with political philosophy, ideas, and business more often. He was later referred to as a thinking machine, always speaking in a very fast, serious manner (Niven 49). In 1808, John Calhoun was elected to the State legislature of South Carolina, beginning his career in politics. Two years later, he was elected to the Unites States House of Representatives. Henry Clay selected Calhoun to be the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He, among others, strongly encouraged the War of 1812. Calhoun urged the House to build a strong army. Even after the war, his efforts towards achieving a stronger military continued (Niven 98). Over time, however, it seems as though the level of importance of a strong military in Calhouns mind decreased significantly. In 1846, John Calhoun refused to vote in favor of the declaration of war against Mexico. Eventually, the idea of peace entered Calhouns mind as right and therefore determined war as, in his words, a positive evil (Cralle 277). In 1817, Calhoun went into James Monroes Cabinet as a nationalist. In Monroes Cabinet, he was the secretary of state until 1825 (Capers 61). Calhoun later served as vice president to John Quinsy Adams from 1825 to 1829. He was later elected vice president again under Andrew Jackson (USGenWeb 1). Both of his terms as vice president to the Unites States is what he is best known as. During the time of Calhouns term as vice president to Andrew Jackson, the Nullification Crisis surfaced. This time period is directly linked to the Tariff of Abominations along with the resulting chaos that that followed (Bartlett 102). Calhoun wished to run for president after Jacksons term was over, but during Jacksons first term, he and Calhoun had many conflicts. Jackson was furious when he discovered that Calhoun had criticized his invasion of Florida in 1818. Also, John C. Calhoun had his thoughts and beliefs concerning the Tariff of Abominations expressed in The South Carolina Exposition and Protest. This was later referred to as Calhouns Exposition. Although Calhoun had written this document anonymously, the author of the document was still clear to many. In this document, Calhoun warned that if the Tariff of Abominations was not rejected, South Carolina would break away. It was also stated by Calhoun that if it was decided that a Federal document was unconstitutional, any st ate held the right to nullify the document. This idea was later named Calhouns Doctrine of nullification. Calhoun made a clear attempt to convince others that the Tariff of Abominations was a direct attack on the South (Niven 180-181). In 1832, Calhoun resigned as vice president and soon after got elected into the senate. He used this opportunity to defend South Carolina. In that same year, South Carolina announced that the Tariff of Abominations was null in void in that state. When the other Southern states did not follow South Carolinas example as originally planned, Henry Clay proposed a compromise designed to lower the tariffs over a long period of time (USGenWeb 1). While in the Senate during the 1830s, Calhoun began attacking abolitionists and demanding that revolts against slavery in the North be stopped. He also did not want abolitionist petitions to be acknowledged by Congress (Bartlett 210). John Calhoun defended both slavery and the South with all of his might. Calhoun was soon after known to be the most popular slavery defender by many people (Bartlett 235). Although he made his plans of being chosen to run in the presidential election in the letters he had written to his friends, few people expected Calhoun to carry out the attitude of a candidate (Bartlett 237). The closer it got to the presidential race, the more Calhoun would go out of his way to not only impress the people, but also to gain their respect. In one of his attempts, he became a member of the Irish Immigrant Society of New York. He did this as a way of expressing the pride that he felt for his heritage and his father who had been an Irish immigrant himself (Bartlett 238). This proved to win the attention of many working class citizens of New York. Calhoun declared his candidacy in 1843 but later withdrew from the race. Instead, he took on the role as secretary of state under John Tyler who only had one year before his term was completed (Niven 264). Congress had adopted Texas into the Union by 1844. As a direct result, the slavery area of the United States grew. This helped maintain the sectional balance within the Union (USGenWeb 1). By the following year, Calhoun had rejoined the Senate. During his time in the Senate, Calhoun had opposed the Wilmot Proviso after first opposing the war versus Mexico. The Wilmot Proviso had been created to prevent slavery from occurring within any territory taken from Mexico during the war. Calhoun knew that a war between America and Mexico was a bad idea. He feared that if a war was declared with Mexico, America would enter under the wrong circumstances (Bartlett 341). While in the Senate, Calhoun was successful in limiting the frequency of discussions held in Congress regarding slavery. Maintaining the same attitude towards slavery, when the Compromise of 1850 idea was introduced, Calhoun not only voted against it, but made it publicly known that he saw it as disgraceful (Niven 293). The Compromise of 1850 stated that Southerners rights to bring their slaves into other Union territories were not guaranteed. When the Compromise of 1850 was adopted, Calhoun was no longer alive. Calhoun appeared in Congress for the last time on the seventh of March. On that particular day, he listened to the sectional peace appeal made by Daniel Webster and approved. In the last month of his life, Calhoun had countless discussions with his fellow Southerners. He made his growing fear for the future of the South very clear. Nothing short of the terms I propose can settle it finally and permanently. Indeed, it is difficult to see how two peoples so different and hostile can exist together (Capers 252). On the night before his death, Calhoun said to his friends, If I had my health and strength to devote one more hour to my country in the Senate, I could do no more than in my whole life (Capers 253). Calhouns dedication to the Union was undeniably sincere. The countless efforts put forward, and the measures taken by Calhoun to support and protect the South are without a doubt deserving of respect. In Washington D.C, John Caldwell Calhoun was pronounced dead on March 31, 1850.

A Journey Through Writing :: essays research papers

Writing is and essential part of communication in our society. Soon after children are taught the letters that make up our English language, they are taught the basics of formatting them into effective writing. On the job, usually no matter what it is we usually can’t escape the written application, and we almost always find ourselves in a position which warrants the use of food communication skills. Among theses common forms of writing, others are integrated within the daily lives of people around the world. Some people choose to keep journals as a permanent hardcopy of their existence, and others like to write professionally. No matter what the occasion, there are always a few basics that can make your writing better understood, and more openly accepted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this essay I will explore some of the various writings that I have done, and compare and contrast them to some of the more formal writing laws that have been bestowed upon the craft. The coy bought the bat. Such a simple sentence that I have written so many times in the past in my more youthful days. Sentences like this at the time seem like redundant practice exercises, and they are. But when we grow up (literally speaking) and face the real world, we come to appreciate the process greatly. In that sentence we have all the basics or written communication, and then some. Amongst the noun and subject and so on, you find alliteration for example. Alliteration, when used correctly can be a powerful way to enhance your writing, and make it seem more sophisticated. And that’s what everyone wants to do right, come off as intelligently as possible.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Let’s explore that in a little more depth. When I am writing on an assignment, or some other formal; type of writing, the style is usually much different. For example I don't try to use fancy techniques and a whole lot of jargon to sound good, I just write. On the flip side, I don't like using poor language and slang terms in formal writing. It just seems to be more appropriate the way that I do it. But, there is a limit. For instance, the more technical terms and jargon that you insert the more people that you exclude and possibly turn off from your work. Most likely if you are looking in a dictionary or a thesaurus all of the time, other people will have to do the same, and most would rather not go through the trouble.

Coping with Change, Managing Uncertainty Essay -- essays research pape

Coping with Change, Managing Uncertainty Introduction 'Thirty years ago most people thought that change would mean more of the same, only better. That was incremental change and to be welcomed. Today we know that in many areas of life we cannot guarantee more of the same...[we] cannot even predict with confidence what will be happening in our own lives.' (Handy, 1991) He differentiates between incremental and 'discontinuous' change, suggesting that the combination of economics and technology form a potent blend in this. We can see that Higher Education (HE) Library and Information Services (LIS), are part of an environment which is subject to both incremental and discontinuous change: Political - increased control from central government Sociological - the information age Educational - the mass HE system Technological - networking, computing and telecommunications Organisational - new structures Economic - increased demand for value for money Cultural - changed norms and values In LIS the move from holdings of information sources in-house to electronic access to remote sources, along with the pressure to provide more services with fewer human and financial resources brings its own kind of change: New structures such as team-working Collaboration with a range of different groups and individuals Additional skills for staff and users Increased management and decision-making Heavier workloads LIS managers and their staff need to adopt positive strategies to cope with these changes: 'Library administrators must become facilitators. They must understand how the world is changing and how the library must change. And they must also learn to be masters at persuasion, since wherever there is change there will be resistance.' (Moore, 1995) Coping with change rests on two struts: understanding change and managing change. Coping with change: understanding Practical steps can be taken to increase knowledge and understanding: SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis TQM (Total Quality Management) exercises Group planning exercises Programmes of visiting speakers Training needs analysis Environmental scanning Electronic discussion lists User surveys Internal staff surveys Away days External seminars, conferences and workshops Shared experience sessions Understanding uncertainty 'Information technology is ve... .... Mowat (eds). Networking and the future of libraries: managing the intellectual record. UKOLN and LA. Corrall, S. (1995 b) Academic libraries in the information society. New Library World, 96 (1120), 35-42. Garvin, D.A. (1994) Building a learning organisation. Business Credit New York, 96 (1), 19. Handy, C. (1991) The Age of Unreason. In: Henry, Jane (ed) Creative Management. Sage Publications, 269-282. Majaro, S. (1988) The Creative Gap. London, Longman. Moore, M. (1995) Impact of the changing environment on academic library administration: conflicts, incongruities, contradictions and dichotomies. Journal of Library Administration, 22 (1), 13-36. Morgan, G. (1991) Emerging waves and challenges. In: Henry, Jane (ed). Creative Management. Sage Publications, 283-293. Riggs, D. (1997) What's in store for academic libraries? Leadership and management issues. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 23 (1). 3-8. Walton, G. and Edwards, C. (1997) Strategic management of the electronic library in the UK higher education sector: implications of eLib's IMPEL2 project at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle. In: Raitt, D. (ed) Libraries for the New Millennium, 169-198.

Maos Last Dancer Essay -- Dancing Dancers China Essays

Mao's Last Dancer Staggeringly vast and a land of great diversity, China, the world's most populous and third largest nation is more like a continent in itself than a country. With that huge population and a long history, China has made itself become a glorious and controversial country during one hundred years, especially from 1949 when China was finally at peace after decades of war, a China under China Communist Party (CCP) and Mao Zedong. There was actually a lot of changing in society as well as in particular people’s lives. Li Cunxin, a dancer and the author of the book Mao’s last dancer - a huge bestseller in Australia and the thirty-fourth book of â€Å"Australia’s 100 favourite books† of the year, has his life changed clearly and dramatically which is explained emotionally in his book. Mao's last dancer touches every reader’s hearts by its beauty, its honesty and exhilaration. Through this book, we are able to learn more about China from a different side and obviously about Li Cunxin’s life – a life within a burning desire for higher achievements. Li Cunxin was born into an extreme poor peasant family in Qingdoa in 1961, Northern China. He is the sixth son in the family of seven sons, living in a small house with relatives. 1961 is the third year of Mao’s Great Leap Forward â€Å"which had left rural China suffering terribly from disease and deprivation†. But when he was eleven years old, Madame Mao decided to revive the Perking Dance Academy and sent her men into the countryside to find suitable children. And Li, thanks to his teacher pointing out, without any former experience, was chosen to become a dancer - one of the best dancers in the world. After seven years of hard training at Beijing Dance Ac... ...s and aspirations. His delivery was powerful and effective and he certainly had the audience with him all the way, conquered, inspired and enriched. Reference: [1] Mao's last dancer by Li Cunxin – Book Summary and Book Reviews, http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm?book_number=1388, 17/08/05 [2] Li Cunxin – An interview with author, http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=995, 17/08/05 [3] Li Cunxin, Dancer Magnificent, http://www.anovelview.com/li_cunxin_dancer_magnifique.htm, 17/08/05 [4] Li Cunxin – An interview with author, http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=995, 17/08/05 [5] Li Cunxin, Dancer Magnificent, http://www.anovelview.com/li_cunxin_dancer_magnifique.htm, 17/08/05 * Li Cunxin, Mao’s Last Dancer, New York : Putnam, 2003.

Origins Of Agriculture In African Sahara Essay

Several decades ago, Harlan et al. (1976) suggested that Africa, outside of the Nile River Valley, might be the most useful setting for developing a fuller understanding of plant domestication and agricultural origins (Harlan et al. , 5). It seems that in Africa the earliest indigenous plant domestication occurred relatively late (ca. 2000 BC) compared to most other regions of the world (Harlan et al, 7-8). Whether this was due to a method of harvesting that was not artificially selective, such as beating versus cutting with stone or iron sickles, a lack of intentional re-sowing of harvested grains, or reliance in some cases on non-domesticable plants remains unknown, but it seems clear that wild grain collection was part of a variety of adaptive strategies until at least about 2000 BC. Unlike the Near East, most of Africa’s native domestic plants appear to have different temporal and geographic origins. In other words, crop domestication in Africa did not arise in a single region, but developed from diverse vegetative zones (Harlan et al, 12). From the critical and historical perspectives, it is important to understand and analyze the development of agricultural patterns in any historio-geographical region, African Sahara in this particular case, because it is from there that the first evidence emerges of village-based communities, pastoralism and intensive use of wild grains. Over the past 75 years, theories of the origins and spread of agriculture have been numerous and diverse. Explanations have ranged from cultural progress, climate change, diffusion of agriculture from single hearths, to population pressure, status enhancement, feasting, and to simply viewing the variety of agricultural approaches around the globe as increasingly extractive adaptations of foraging behavior. Increasingly, however, it appears that multiple factors led to the development of agriculture and that the processes may have been different in each region of the world. Archaeological evidence from centers of independent domestication provides numerous opportunities to explain the process, but from the critical viewpoint, it gives little insight into what might have been the ultimate stimulus for such a broad shift. Today, the Egyptian Western Desert (also known as the Eastern Sahara or the Libyan Desert) is extremely inhospitable with little or no rainfall, high daily temperatures, relentless sandstorms, and life that can be supported only near the occasional well or oasis (Wendorf and Schild, 1984, 1-5). Increased rainfall around 9000 BC led to the formation of seasonal ponds around Bir Kiseiba and Nabta Playa (Wendorf and Schild, 1984, 2). Although the Eastern Sahara remained unpredictable, peoples migrating west from the Nile Valley or from the desert to the south began to temporarily inhabit its better-watered areas (Close and Wendorf, 64). No structures, storage pits, or wells were recovered from the earliest sites, and pottery was rare (Wendorf and Schild, 1984, 5). Grinding stones were present in the oldest levels, and the plant remains suggest reliance on wild grasses (Wendorf and Schild, 1998, 99). Wild animals such as hare and gazelle comprised the majority of faunal remains, and domesticated cattle were possibly included in the subsistence regime (Wendorf and Schild, 1998, 103). By 8000 to 7000 BC, the area around Nabta was scattered with desert lakes and dotted with the trees of Tamarix, Acacia, and probably Ziziphus, swampy plants (sedges), and wild grasses (Close and Wendorf, 68). Occupation of the Western Desert was still likely seasonal, with abandonment during the summer monsoons. The sites were larger than those of the previous period, and the remains of small and large huts, bell-shaped storage pits, and deep wells suggest intensified habitation (Close and Wendorf, 69). Lithics, bone points, grinding stones, and pottery were present (though pottery was still somewhat rare), and the fauna continued to consist mainly of hare, gazelle, and possibly domesticated cattle (Wendorf and Schild 1998, 107). The evidence for domesticated cattle in these earliest levels is debated. Bones, tentatively identified as such, mainly teeth and foot remains, are morphologically similar to both modern domesticated and wild cattle (Bos primigenius f. taurus and B. rimigenius, respectively), but not to other large bovids in the area. Gautier argues for the presence of domesticated cattle rather than wild cattle because the latter probably could not survive on their own in an arid climate without the aid of humans to guide them to known water sources (qtd in Close and Wendorf 1984, 61-62). Support for domesticated cattle comes also from the lack of bones from medium-sized bovids that typically roam with wild cattle (Wendorf and Schild 1998, 108). Cattle bones are present but not common in the assemblages, which is used to argue for cattle-keeping (for milk and blood) rather than for cattle-eating (Close and Wendorf, 66). Interestingly, Close and Wendorf suggest that it was this expansion into the Sahara that might have pushed cattle-herders towards cattle-keeping and not slaughter, as during the same time in the Nile Valley, cattle apparently were being killed for consumption and not maintained for their products (Close and Wendorf, 68). In addition to hunting, and cattle milk and blood, the collection of wild plants also provided food. The best studied plant remains come from the site of E-75-6 at Nabta Playa, dating to around 6000 BC (Wasylikowa, 128). Wendorf and Schild interpret the sites of Nabta Playa as representing an important transition in prehistory, that of incipient domestication (Wendorf and Schild, 1998, 105). The intensive use of wild grains by pastoralist-hunters suggests a broad-spectrum approach to subsistence, but one that also incorporates semi-sedentism and delayed use of resources. Although the pastoralists at Nabta Playa apparently revisited the same locations on a seasonal basis, they probably were forced to remain mobile due to their reliance on cattle and the need for abundant grass cover. Archeologists and historians suggest that groups migrating from the west introduced domesticated African grains to the upper Middle Niger Delta (MND) is has been supported by material remains through various archeological sites (McIntosh, 56). For instance, ceramics and bone harpoon-type points with affinities to sites in the Mema and Dhar Tichitt suggest that there was some early interaction or occupation at Dia by fisher-forager and agro-pastoralist groups from these more western areas. Evidence from Dhar Tichitt suggests that domesticated millet was introduced prior to 1900 BC, and that millet farming and herding existed well before 600 BC (McIntosh, 71). Ceramics from Mema sites indicate that indigenous fisher-foragers first inhabited the Mema area, but by 1300-800 BC, pastoralist immigration into the region had begun. It has been proposed by Mcintosh that these groups of herders and fishers might have assimilated to some degree in the Mema, and then perhaps fissioned into proto-Bozo and Nono groups upon entering the modern MND sometime between 800 and 400 BC (McIntosh, 79). Movement into the deeper channels of the upper MND was likely one response to increasing desiccation of the ancient floodplain margins and encroachment of the Sahara during the early first millennium BC. The human-plant relationship at MND appears from the earliest times to be based on rice farming and collection of wild plant resources. This trend continues throughout the occupation of the sites, even during periods of seasonal habitation or partial abandonment (Horizons II and III of Dia). Early in the second millennium however, several species (pearl millet, bread wheat, and cotton) occur that suggest the development of new or intensified relationships between Dia and the outside world. The increased presence of pearl millet noted especially on Mara probably signals enhanced trade or exchange with other communities, or perhaps the movement of new peoples into the area. Mcintosh writes of oscillating drying trends during this time that might have allowed cultivation of pearl millet in areas previously too wet, perhaps at Dia or at outlying hamlets (Mcintosh, 83). This important cereal was likely domesticated somewhere between the Sahara and the Sahel of West Africa. The earliest evidence of domesticated pearl millet comes from Tichitt, dating 1900-1500 BC, and from Birimi in northern Ghana, where two grains were directly dated to 1740 BC and 1130-1250 BC (McIntosh, 93). Pearl millet occurs frequently at later sites and is a common and important cereal across much of West Africa. The four bread wheat grains found on both Shoma and Mara, one grain directly radiocarbon dated to AD 779-1157, may also signal trade, or more likely, visitors from abroad. Native to west Asia and introduced into North Africa by way of Egypt, these wheat grains probably made their way to MND via one of the major Saharan trade towns such as Sijilmasa, where to according to medieval Arabic travelers and traders, wheat was cultivated (McIntosh, 99-100). In sum, it increasingly appears that there was an independent domestication of cattle in the eastern Sahara around 8000 BC, well before the introduction of cattle, goat, and sheep from the Near East around 5000 BC. Practicing a broad-spectrum approach to food getting, these early herders spread west and south across the Sahara, eventually entering West Africa around 2000 BC. The earliest domesticated grass (pearl millet) occurs around this time in a broad band across the southern Sahara and Sahel beginning earliest at Dhar Tichitt (Mauritania) and moving rapidly eastward to Lake Chad (northeastern Nigeria) by about 1200 BC (Wendorf and Schild, 1998, 122). These sites are invariably associated with the remains of domesticated cattle, suggesting that Saharan pastoralists introduced domesticated grasses into sub-Saharan Africa and played a pivotal role in the development of other African regions.

Socratic Seminar Questions (Medea)

Socratic Seminar Questions 1. Do you remember Medea shouldve let the children live? If so, who do you mean she wouldve chosen and wherefore? If not, why do you count Medea killed the children? I take it was proper for Medea to kill the children. The children be a mathematical product during Medea and Jasons relationship. Since Medea feels standardized Jason betrayed and tainted their relationship, she feels indispensableness letting the children not live is like destroying e genuinely last remnant of their relationship.She also feels that killing the children would punish Jason and as a mother, she doesnt want anyone else to harm her bear children, so she kills them as a sacrifice. Person all(prenominal)y, it was a dour scene of killing the children, and it had a hidden reason into killing the children. 2. What are some major complaints Medea pleas most the treat handst of wo manpower? Do you remember wo workforce nearly the populace are still confront these p roblems? Some of the major complaints Medea pleas ab emerge are that wo custody potentiometernot reject marriage because of the over confidence of work force that women dont ache the power to reject or deny marriage.I believe not only Greece, solely other countries around the whole world face the over dominance of men over women. Another complaint Medea states is how women are bought and sold by men. Women werent slaves derriere in Greece but Medea emphasizes the point that women are treated like property, being bought and sold. In the present world, at that place are very few or not horizontal any countries that sell women but are treated like slaves, having limited rights than men. Lastly, she points come forward women are the most unfortunate creatures. I think the hidden message Euripides is explaining is the vile state of females in Greece.I think that there are still countries worldwide, facing the homogeneous situations Medea points out to the readers. In addition, I think Euripides wants readers to sympathize the state of women and how theyre treated. 3. What do you think is the difference between evaluator and punish? Did Medea achieve nicety or vindicate? Why? There is a secern difference between the explanation of justice and revenge. Justice I think brings termination, an end to something, while revenge results in personal mirth and pleasure. Another key difference between both is that justice is what should be done while revenge is what you believe should be done.To sum everything up, justice is selfless and revenge is selfish. I think Medea achieved more of revenge because it was her personal satisfaction and plotting out, punishing Jason for his wrongdoings. In addition, her crave for revenge adulterates her life and her desire for revenge makes her a merciless character. 4. What ways does Medea bring her ban on herself? There are more signs of how Medea creates ban for herself. She made herself an exile out of love, leaving her land and killing her generate and brother to help Jason in his following for the Golden Fleece. Ironically thought, his betrayal leads her into banishment once more.During many scenes in the play, Medea expresses dusky anguish as making herself an exile. She seems oddly remorseful about leaving crustal plate and killing her father. This distance from Medea to her father is credibly the worst feeling of exile she has to withstand. 5. If all people are created equal, then why do you think men adopt more authority than women according to Medea? angiotensin converting enzyme reason I think men would want more authority than women is men want to feel powerful themselves and they want a feel of playing a crucial role to smart set or a matriarch in a family by obtaining power.Another reason men put one across more authority than women is how untold insistency they goat take. Yes, women are smart and come intelligence, but the main problem is that women cant take as much c riticism or types of pressure as men can. That could be why men are mostly leaders of countries, they can take more pressure from society or media than women can. Lastly, I think men have more authority than women is because men are more recognized in creativity. Microsoft, Apple, Google and YouTube are examples of technological inventions by men. work force feel more recognized into their creativity.